Anadolu Efes — CSKA, 08 October 2021

Anadolu Efes Istanbul – CSKA: 96-100 (+4)

Anadolu Efes: Larkin (12 + 7 as), Singleton (2), Micic (32 + 2 as + 4 to + 5 pf), Anderson (5 + 7 rb + 2 as + 4 st + 5 pf), Petrusev (7 + 3 rb) – start; Beaubois (8 + 3 as), Balbay (1), Gecim (0), Gazi (0), Moerman (14 + 5 rb + 4 pf), Pleiss (9 + 3 rb), Dunston (6)…

CSKA: Lundberg (17 + 6 rb + 5 as), Voigtmann (17 + 9 rb + 7 as + 2 st + 4 to + 4 pf), Shengelia (23 + 4 rb + 3 as + 4 pf), Kurbanov (7 + 4 rb), Shved (9 + 2 as) – start; Bolomboy (2), Khomenko (DNP), Ukhov (5), Ivlev (DNP), Hackett (2), Antonov (0), Clyburn (18 + 7 rb + 2 as)…

Dimitris Itoudis, CSKA head coach:

Obviously I would like to congratulate my team with the win. Our games here against Efes look interesting in the last three years. We came shorthanded over here but the guys kept believing. We played with physicality which is necessary for such games, on such level, when you’re playing against defending champion, with the ceremony, presenting the trophy, well-deserved last season. This is a team that plays together for three years, having some significant additions. We had to show character. We started this EuroLeague journey with two road games against two Final Four teams, Milan and Efes. We could have bring this game to the end smoothly because in the third quarter we came out even stronger, we were making shots, we raised the lead to double-digit margin… Micic was shooting the ball amazingly today, 7 of 11 three-pointers, they were putting the last effort, putting pressure, we had some wrong decisions, missing some free throws. But we kept our composure to the point when Efes was trying to make a comeback. I think we deserved this win. We proved to ourselves that we respect what we are doing out there. I am happy because we proved that we have a character and we can win as a team.